WR Chris Daniels (16) came to training camp 2000 as a rookie free agent and appeared in two preseason games
In four seasons at Purdue, wide receiver Chris Daniels never missed a game. Upon hitting the professional ranks, however, Daniels injury fortunes took a turn for the worse.
On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Daniels, who had signed over a year ago and been on two teams but had appeared in just two preseason games.
The 6-3, 222-pound receiver originally joined the Bucs as a college free agent after the 1999 draft. As Drew Brees' favorite target, he had garnered All-America honors as a senior after setting a Purdue record with 109 receptions. However, Daniels suffered a shoulder injury early in August and played in just two games with the Buccaneers, recording one catch for 11 yards. He eventually landed on the team's injured reserve list for 2000.
Since he hadn't had an opportunity to play as a rookie, Daniels was allocated to NFL Europe this winter and was added to the Barcelona Dragons' roster. However, another preseason injury, this one to his neck, kept Daniels from playing a down with the Dragons.
The Buccaneers allocated eight players to the NFLEL, including Daniels, thus earning eight roster exemptions for training camp. With those exemptions, the Bucs could bring 88 players to camp, instead of 80 as is the league's limit.
Even with Daniels' release, the Buccaneers can use eight exemptions if they choose to sign another free agent from NFL Europe. The Bucs' eighth exemption becomes open when Daniels clears waivers in 10 days, although the league would allow Tampa Bay to sign another NFLEL player in the interim if they chose to do so.
The Bucs' roster currently stands at 86 players, including 12 receivers.
